


Eliminating the threat

by NYWCgirl



Series: Tsalani bwino = Stay well [1]
Category: White Collar
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Major Illness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-09
Updated: 2015-09-09
Packaged: 2018-04-19 22:18:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4763087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NYWCgirl/pseuds/NYWCgirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Virologist doctor Neal Caffrey goes to Liberia for Doctors Without Borders to help in the Ebola outbreak there. He is assigned a bodyguard.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Eliminating the threat

**Author's Note:**

> This story fills the ´Pandemic/Epidemic´ square on my H/C bingo card. Thank you Sandy79 for your great prompt and thank you Kanarek13 for beta reading the story.  
> Kanarek13´s art ´Trouble in paradise´ inspired me to write this fic, it can be found here: http://kanarek13.livejournal.com/79390.html

May 2014.

 

_Tonight we have a special on an outbreak of an unknown virus in Africa. The first case was reported in Guinea in March this year, and the disease spread in the neighboring countries of Liberia and Sierra Leone. We interviewed doctor Neal Caffrey who is traveling to Liberia in an attempt to stop the spread of the virus. Doctor Caffrey is a world renowned virologist and works for the CDC on infectious diseases._

_“Doctor Caffrey, what do you think caused this latest outbreak? “_

_…_

_* * *_

**“We Started our descend towards Monrovia. We will be landing in approximately forty minutes. Local time is ten p.m.. The weather is nice and clear and the temperature is twenty nine degrees.”**

Neal groaned when he sat up. He always hated these long intercontinental flights. They were almost there, he couldn´t wait to get out of the plane. Neal took one of the small pouches out of his carry-on and walked over to the restroom. He quickly brushed his teeth and combed his fingers through his hair. Brushing his teeth made him feel a bit more human. When he walked back to his seat, he could see that most of the passengers were getting reading for landing.

 

Forty minutes later, the plane touched down and taxied towards the airport. When the doors were opened, a hot humid wind entered the plane. Neal got up, grabbed his carry-on and descended the stairs towards the airport.

When he entered the arrival hall, a man with a ´ **Médecins Sans Frontières´** sign was waiting for him. MSF were the CDC´s contacts here in Liberia.

“Doctor Caffrey?”

“Abena?” Neal asked.

“Yes, I will take you to your hotel, we will be leaving for Voinjarna tomorrow morning”

“Thanks, I could use some sleep in a real bed. Lead the way.”

Abena drove Neal to one of the western hotels in Monrovia and Neal quickly checked in to enjoy this last bit of luxury. Once they left the capital, it would be back to basics, so Neal enjoyed his shower with hot water and got in bed.

The next morning he woke at seven, because the sun was already piercing through the curtains. He took a quick shower and got in his Africa gear. Some cargo pants and a cotton shirt with big sturdy boots.

He went outside and got some breakfast. The fruits in Africa were delicious as always, so much juicier and sweeter than those in the States. While he was getting some coffee he scanned the rest of the patrons, he seemed to be the only westerner at the moment. So he was surprised to see a white male entering the hotel garden where he was having breakfast. The man was tall, taller than him and heavier built. Brown short hair, with a serious face. He was dressed almost the same as he was, cargo pants and a polo shirt. Neal was even more surprised when the man walked straight to him.

“Doctor Neal Caffrey?”

“Yes, that is me.”

“Hi, my name is Peter Burke. I will be in charge of your security on this trip.”

“I wasn´t aware I was in any danger.”

“Well, circumstances in Liberia have changed and MSF asked me to take care of your security. So here I am.”

“You don´t mind I call MSF to check out your credentials?”

“No, it would concern me if you didn´t.” the man gave him a small smile.

Neal stood up and walked into the garden while he called MSF. The responsible person apologized that they didn´t tell Neal earlier that he was getting a bodyguard. Peter Burke was highly recommended, he used to be an FBI agent, but after his retirement, he started a private business. Neal disconnected the call and walked back to Peter.

“Well, it turns out you are who you say you are. So how does this work?”

“Well, I will do my best to keep you safe while you can do your work. If you are ready, we go. I was told you need to go to the border with Guinea?”

“Yeah, that is correct, I brought my supplies and I think Voinjarna is a good base to start the research. There is a local hospital that sent me some samples and I want to investigate for myself.”

Neal finished his breakfast and quickly packed his stuff, which wasn´t much and they were on their way. When he walked out of the hotel, Peter was waiting for him at the door. In front of him was a jeep with running engine. Neal got in the backseat, Peter in the front passenger seat and introduced their driver to Neal.

While they drove Peter made small talk, but he didn´t ask about Neal´s work. He did however want to know what the Knicks and The Yankees had done over the last couple of months. Neal smiled. Peter was a no nonsense guy, but he felt at ease with him, as if they had known each other for a long period of time. Neal imagined they could be friends.

 

* * *

 

They were welcomed into the local hospital by a CDC nurse, Elizabeth Mitchell. She had been running the hospital for about six months together with a MSF doctor. The doctor was ‘travelled’, which meant he could be anywhere. She showed them their rooms and told them that dinner would be served in about an hour. She needed to go back to work, but she would meet them at later.

At six o´clock darkness set in as suddenly as it always did in Africa and Peter and Neal made their way to the cantina. They had been checking out the perimeters and facilities of the hospital and getting more acquainted with each other.

They freshened up and joined the food line with the rest of the staff. Dinner turned out to be Waakye, a bean and rice dish and a bottle of local beer. Elizabeth joined them and they spent dinner time exchanging the latest news.

After dinner, Neal joined Elizabeth on her evening rounds. Peter told them he would have a look in town.

 

* * *

 

The next day, Neal started studying the samples that Elizabeth and the doctor had collected on their trips. They were the reason why Neal had come to Liberia.

He was just taking a break, when a man arrived at the hospital. He was a small, bald man with thick rimmed glasses. He walked over to Elizabeth, greeted her by giving her a kiss on the cheek and Neal could see that she pointed towards them. The man then quickly made his way to them.

 

“Doctor Caffrey?”

“I am, you must me doctor Theodore Winters, I assume?”

“Yes, but you can call me Mozzie. And you are?” Mozzie turned towards Peter, who was sitting across from Neal drinking some instant coffee.

“My name is Peter Burke, I am in charge of doctor Caffrey´s security.”

“Ah, a suit.”

Peter looked a bit annoyed at Mozzie.

“Doctor Caffrey….”

“Neal , please.”

“Fine, Neal, have you been able to study the samples we got?”

“Yes, and I must say the results are a bit shocking to me.

“Aha, so you must admit there is something seriously wrong here.”

“Yes, that is the only conclusion one can come to.”

 

* * *

 

It had taken Neal weeks of research, but he suddenly understood why the vaccines didn´t work. The virus had been altered to make sure there was no cure. This was bad, how had the virus been able to mutate change so rapidly? He needed to let the CDC head office know what he had found. How could they alter their vaccinations? He needed to think.

He was tired, he had been tired all week. He needed some distraction, so Neal decided to go see Peter, maybe they could have a beer together. He asked Soumanwolo to clean up.

He walked over to the local café and was happy to see that Peter was there. El was also there. Neal smiled, everyone could see that Peter had an eye for her, but for some reason he didn´t ask her out.

El saw him first and waved him over.

“Hey guys. I found why the vaccinations aren´t working. The virus mutated. But the really strange thing is, it appears it had been done artificially, I am not 100% sure, but that is what it looks like. I called the CDC and mailed my findings, so a vaccine can be made.”

“Wow, seriously, the virus was altered? Who would do such a thing?”

“I have no idea. There is still a chance it happened spontaneously. I should run more tests but I really need a break.”

“Yeah, we haven´t seen you in days, you were locked up in the lab. Have you been eating?”

“Sorry, I get a bit carried away when I am onto something. And yes, I have been eating. Teta brought me food.” Neal said a bit bashful.

Peter had gotten them beers and some sate like sticks with meat. He just made it back under the roof they were sitting under when one of the torrential rains started.

“Wow, this is spicy.” Neal said with a smile, quickly drinking from his cold beer.

“You look tired, Neal.” El said, studying him.

“Is that a way to tell me you want to be left alone with Peter?” Neal said smirking. He was rewarded with a slap on the shoulder.

“Ok, I will leave you two love birds alone.”

Neal got up, finishing his bottle and ran through the rain back to the sleeping quarters.

Damn rain season, it always made the work harder, the heat combined with the rain was a killer. Neal longed for his air conditioned office in New York. But he had to finish his testing. If they could get samples from the last village, he could go back to his office in New York and study the virus there.

When he arrived back in the sleeping quarters, he hesitated a moment if he would continue, but decided against it. He felt worn. He needed sleep. If he could just rest, he would be fine.

 

* * *

 

 

Neal woke up with chills. Not good. He got up, grabbed one of the water bottles and a thermometer. It was one of the old fashion kind, so he placed it in his arm pit and waited, 101, not good. He grabbed the bottle of Tylenol. It would help with the fever. He couldn´t get sick now, they were almost done with the inoculations.

Neal got back into bed and fell in a restless sleep.

He woke because Peter was calling out his name. And by the tone of his voice, he must have called out several times already. There was a vague worried tone.

“Peter?” he answered sleepy.

“Yes, Neal, what is going on, you didn´t answer me.”

“I´m sorry, I must have slept deep.”

“Yeah, you must have. Let´s go.”

“I´m coming, I´ll meet you at breakfast.”

 

* * *

 

When Peter had called out to Neal, and he didn´t respond, he automatically went into agent mode, but when he saw Neal in the bed under the mosquito net, he was relieved. He called out again, but Neal didn´t stir. That was strange; he had come to know Neal as a light sleeper.

He walked up to Neal and could see a light sheen of sweat on his face and body. His cheeks were flushed. This was not good. He shook him and Neal startled awake.

Neal told him that everything was OK, and that he would meet him for breakfast. Peter left the sleeping quarters and walked up to El.

“Hey.” She smiled at him and gave him a kiss.

“El, have you noticed something about Neal?”

“Well, other than that he is wearing himself down with his research? Why?”

“When I entered his room this morning I could have sworn he looked sick.”

“Did he say anything?”

“No, he pretended that nothing was wrong. But can you please keep an eye out for him, as a medical professional?”

“Yeah sure, no problem.”

“What are the plans for today?”

“We are going to this local community for blood tests and inoculations and then we are finished for this region. So we should be able to start packing tonight and then travel back tomorrow morning.”

“Hey Neal.”

Neal had walked out of the tent to the table El and he had been sitting at. He had a bottle of water in his hand and was guzzling it down.

“Easy Neal, you will give yourself a stomach ache.”

“Yeah, I´m just thirsty.”

“You OK?

“Yeah, I had some fever, but it has been a couple of long days. I´m just tired. I will be fine once we are done here.”

“Well, let me check you out.”

“Yeah, when we are done today, I promise, you can check me out.”

“OK.”

They packed their stuff and got into the jeep. Kayin would drive, Peter sitting next to him and Neal and El in the back. It would take them about four hours to get to the village. Within half an hour, Neal was sleeping. Two hours later, Neal started to stir and talk in his sleep. Peter glanced over in concern. El felt Neal´s forehead and could tell Neal had a fever.

“Neal, wake up. Come on buddy.” Peter called out.

Neal opened his eyes and looked a bit disoriented.

“Neal , you are running a fever. Here, drink and take these.” El handed Neal two pills.

“Peter, maybe we should head back?”

“No, I´m fine, it is just some fever. With the Tylenol I will be OK. We are almost there. Let´s finish this job and then we can go back to the hospital tomorrow, OK?”

“We are almost there.” El admitted.

They let Neal rest some more while they drove.

Once they were in the village, Neal was feeling better and they got their gear out of the car. El and Peter set up the table and supplies and Neal started explaining what they were going to do. Kaying translating for him. He then checked out the children first. He was doing some magic tricks and the kids were all laughing and pointing at Neal. He was smiling and started the inoculations. When the children were done, it was way pass lunchtime and they were invited to eat with the village eldest. After lunch, Neal and El finished with the adults.

Peter had been studying Neal and he thought Neal had been looking worse as the day wore on. During lunch, Neal had barely touched his food, and he was guzzling water. He also grew more and more quiet. When Neal placed the last inoculation, he was pale and trembling. El handed him more Tylenol and suggested he would rest in the jeep while Peter, Kaying and she packed their stuff. He accepted the offer without hesitation, which made Peter worry even more. Neal didn´t rest. He was a very driven individual. That was what made him so good in what he did. And he was always on the move. Peter had suspected him of having ADHD. But now, Neal barely made it to the jeep, collapsing in it and immediately falling asleep.

“El, could he be infected with the virus?”

“Not likely, he took good precautions, the chance would be very slim. I suspect he has Malaria.”

“Well, there is nothing we can do right here, so let´s pack up and get him back up to base camp.”

When the jeep was packed and goodbyes were said, Peter could see that Neal was even more pale than earlier if that was possible and again a sheen of sweat had formed on his face. Kaying drove back as quick as possible on the dirt roads.

By the time they arrived back at their base camp, Peter felt like he was a sack of bones, they were shaken to their core driving over those roads … if you could even call them roads.

Peter carried Neal to his bed and El stared an IV so Neal would stay hydrated. He didn´t even woke up when El placed the needle in his hand.

She was rummaging through the tackle box, when she started swearing.

“What is the matter?” Peter dreaded the answer.

“We are all out of medication, so I can only keep him hydrated. Maybe we should leave for the hospital right now.”

“No, it is too dangerous to travel at night. The roads are too bad. Let´s go to bed so we are fresh for tomorrow as we have long trip in front of us to get back to the hospital.”

 

* * *

 

During the night, Peter and El woke several times when Neal started shouting in his fevered dreams. Around five a.m. Peter woke up and took a quick shower under one of the water bags that were hanging from the trees. He got dressed and made coffee before waking up the rest of the party. While El and Kayin got ready, Peter took care of Neal.

“Neal, wake up, come on, wake up.”

Neal opened his eyes and looked directly at Peter. Peter could see the fever burning in Neal´s eyes. What worried Peter was that Neal seemed to look straight through him.

“Come Neal, we are going home.”

By sunrise, they were ready to leave. Kayin would drive the first couple of hours and they would drop him off in his home village.

El had removed the IV and was trying to coax Neal into drinking water at regular intervals. When he was coherent, he kept complaining of headaches. And by the look of his face they must have been quite bad. When Neal visibly paled, El called out to Kayin to stop the car. She opened the door and pushed Neal halfway out of the car, but preventing him from falling out. Peter had gotten out of the car and to the other side and held Neal as well, while he started retching. El was worried, the symptoms were getting worse. When he was done, he was asleep before Peter had placed him back in the car. El cleaned his face. It was obvious that Neal was not doing well.

 

* * *

 

By the time they arrived at Kayin´s home village, Neal was delirious and not making any sense anymore. He saw imaginary things and spoke to people that were not there. He didn´t recognize Peter or El.

Kayin asked his local medicine man to help Neal and they were given some leaves Neal had to chew. But how were they going to make Neal chew on leaves, while he was barely conscious?

“Kayin, ask the medicine man if we can chew the leaves and then place them in his mouth?”

Kayin asked but the medicine man shook his head.

“Neal?”

El shook him and Neal opened his eyes with great effort. He started struggling when Peter held him and El tried to get the leaves into his mouth. When Neal tasted the bitterness, he instinctively tried to get it out of his mouth.

“You need to chew on the leaves, I know they taste bitter, but it is medicine.”

Peter held on to him until the medicine man gestured to take the leaves out of his mouth. When Neal slowly went slack, Peter called for El to check his pulse, but after a quick check, she assured him he was just out. Probably the leaves were working as a sedative.

“OK, let´s get him back into the jeep.”

Peter carried Neal to the jeep and placed him in the front seat. El took the space directly behind him and Peter got behind the wheel.

“Maybe I should join you.” Kayin said, but El reassured him that he earned his holiday and that they would get Neal back to the hospital. They said their goodbyes and Peter drove off.

 

* * *

 

Three hours later, Peter was exhausted and needed a break from driving. They arrived in a village and Peter suggested they get something to eat and most of all, something to drink. Peter volunteered to get the supplies. Neal had still not stirred and El would check up on him.

When Peter came back, he had some bread, pineapples, and water with him. He quickly sliced the pineapple in edible chunks and handed them to El. She squeezed some of the chunks into Neal´s mouth, who swallowed the juice. Maybe some sugar would do him good.

El asked Peter one of the plastic water bags. Drinking from them without spilling required a special touch which you developed when you were long enough in Africa, but getting the water into Neal? Well, it wouldn´t matter that they spilled some water on him.

Peter ate some of the bread and then asked El if she was OK to get on the road again. Neal was now continuously mumbling. He had an unhealthy pallor and he was getting weaker as time passed. They needed to get to the hospital as soon as possible.

When the finally made it back to Voiryrana, Peter´s concern was through the roof. Neal was jaundiced and was having difficulty breathing and was deliriously swatting at things and seeing things that only he could see.

Peter hit the horn when the entered the hospital site and Mozzie came running outside to see what the ruckus was about. When he saw their jeep, he quickly called some orderlies who brought out a gurney.

 

Before the jeep came to a complete stop, Mozzie opened the door and asked what had happened. El explained that she suspected Neal had developed malaria or dengue. She systematically called out his vitals and symptoms, while two orderlies placed Neal on the gurney and wheeled him into the hospital.

 

* * *

 

 

“El, you were right, it is Plasmodium falciparum.” Mozzie called out.

El and Peter had taken a shower and freshened up while Mozzie took care of Neal. He had taken a blood sample and performed an RDT, so he had a result within twenty minutes.

“What does that mean?” Peter asked.

“It is the most severe kind of malaria and it causes multiple problems for the patient. It can result in organ failure. That is why he had difficulty breathing.”

“So now what?”

“As he cannot take oral medication, we started him on an IV with quinidine and doxycycline.”

“How is he doing?” Peter asked.

“Well, his fever is spiking at a 105 and he is in and out of consciousness, but he is no longer lucid anymore, but you already knew that. It is a waiting game now to see if he can fight off the parasite.”

“What is his parasitic load?” El asked.

“Around fifteen – twenty percent.” Mozzie answered.

Peter looked at them both.

“What does that mean?”

“It is high, but not as bad as it could be, but we have to see how it develops over the next couple of hours. Why don´t you go get some rest and I will keep you updated.”

Peter agreed but told Mozzie he wanted to see Neal before he went to rest. Mozzie lead both El and Peter to Neal´s room. When they entered, Peter could see Neal was restrained to the bed, staff had placed bandages around his wrists that were fastened to the bed.

“He is really out of it and tried to pull the IV out, so we had no choice.” Mozzie explained when he saw Peter studying the restraints.

Peter nodded.

“He Neal, come on buddy, don´t do this to us. You have to fight this, OK?” Peter took his hand in his and squeezed.

El gave Neal a quick peck on the forehead and they both left the room to get some rest themselves.

 

* * *

 

Peter woke because of the persistent knocking on his door.

“OK, OK, I´m up. Hold your horses.”

He walked up to the door but it already burst open, revealing a disheveled Mozzie.

“What is your blood type?” Mozzie almost shouted.

“A+, why?”

“You´re heaven sent. Neal´s parasitic load increased during the night and the only thing I can think of is trying to get some fresh blood in him to get the load down. I have already started with the blood we have, but I need more. I have checked but you are the only one with a matching blood type. Will you help Neal?”

“Of course, what do I need to do?”

“Nothing, I just need your blood.”

Peter followed Mozzie to Neal´s room where another bed was placed next to Neal´s. Neal had an IV in both arms, one seemed to be draining blood and the other was running it into him.

“I know this is sensitive information, but do you have diseases we should know about?” he asked Peter, who shook his head.

“No, I have been tested not so long ago for my insurance and I also donate platelets for a family member so I am checked on a regular interval.”

“Good, good.”

El placed a needle in the crook of his arm and soon Peter´s blood started flowing into the IV bag. Within thirty minutes it was ready to be given to Neal.

When Mozzie was satisfied that the parasitic load was decreased well within treatable levels, they stopped. Peter was told to stay down as he had given more blood than in a normal donation. El had gotten him some cans of Coke and Oreo cookies from her personal stash.

Three hours later, Neal regained consciousness.

“Mozzie? What happened?” he asked in a weak voice.

“You gave us quite a scare, my friend.” Mozzie let out a sigh of relief, that Neal was lucid.

Peter, who had fallen asleep, woke because of the noise and smiled, when he saw that Neal was awake.

“He, buddy, how are you doing?”

“OK, I guess.” Neal was already fighting fatigue and his eyes were drooping.

“Sleep, Neal, we are here. You are going to be OK.”

 

* * *

 

After two days, Neal was able to leave his bed and make it to the bathroom with the help of a nurse. He was still extremely weak, but doing better.

Mozzie asked Peter if he was willing to give another donation as Neal´s blood cells were still low. Peter agreed without another thought.

Four days after being brought to the hospital, Neal was doing better and could be transferred to his own room. Peter made arrangements for Neal and himself to fly back to New York.

They were able to medevac Neal in two days, it would make the flight more comfortable than having to do it in coach. Neal refused to fly first class, saying it was too expensive and that the money was better used for research. So Peter called the CDC and explained the situation. They decided that Neal would be flown back lying down. Peter decided it was better not to tell Neal this until they were in the plane.

He asked El and Mozzie to prepare all the samples to go with them, so Neal could study them in his own lab.

And so two days later Mozzie and El bought Neal in an ambulance to the airport in Monrovia. Neal had insisted he was fine and OK to travel by jeep, but when Mozzie had asked him to walk to the jeep unaided, Neal had to admit he was still too weak.

They were allowed to drive up to the plane, Neal was carried into the plane. Once he was settled in, Mozzie and El said their goodbyes and they promised each other to visit when they are in the States.

They left the plane before the other passengers entered it and then they were off to Brussels as there was no direct flight from Monrovia to New York. The Lufthansa flight would take more than twenty hours, so they were in for the long haul.

Neal slept most of the flight and so did Peter, only waking for food. In Brussels they weren´t allowed to leave the plane, so Peter walked up to the open exit to get some fresh air. Neal was awake and as they had a moment of Wifi and 4G, Neal used the opportunity.

An hour later, the plane was tanked and ready for the last stretch of the journey. Both men enjoyed a movie and some chocolate truffles the new cabin crew offered them. They had sort of a VIP status and the old crew must have informed the new one.

Once the plane touched down in New York, they were through customs in a record time - the perks of a medevac - and Peter escorted Neal to Mount Sinai hospital, where he would be checked over as agreed with Neal´s office. Neal got settled in a room and Peter left the hospital with the promise to visit Neal soon. His job was finished. He escorted his charge back safe and sound.

It was now up to Neal to get back to health and do the research.

 

 

 

 

 

Epilogue

 

It was almost six weeks later when Peter got a call.

“Hey Peter, it´s Neal.”

“Oh hi, yeah about that visit.”

“I know, I know, we are all busy. But I have a favor to ask.”

“I have gotten my clean bill of health and I have been studying the virus and I think I can force a break through, but I need to get back to the hospital in Voinjarna. I already contacted Mozzie and he knows I am coming, but I need someone to accompany me, CDC policy. Are you available? The trip will be for about four weeks. And before you ask, yes, Elizabeth will be there.”

Peter smiled, of course, Neal would check if El was there. They had been keeping contact and Peter had been planning on visiting her, so it was a great opportunity to do on CDC expense.

“Yeah sure, just tell me when, and I will plan it in.”

“Let´s meet for dinner tomorrow night and we can discuss details. My secretary will make reservations and I will ask her to send them to you, OK?”

“Great, see you tomorrow.”

Peter smiled, hopefully this trip would be a bit less stressful and he could spend some quality time with Elizabeth.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Travelled: it is an expression commonly used in Africa to indicate that people are on business. They are not home, but nobody is really sure what they are doing, business, visiting a friend,… It was something I always found funny when we were in Africa and you asked where somebody was. 'He is travelled…'  
> RDT = Rapid Diagnostic Test


End file.
